1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to toilet bowl cleaning devices and more particularly to a passive device for continuously forming a cleaning solution and supplying a charge or dose amount of that solution to the flush water automatically in response to the rising and falling of the flush water within a toilet tank.
2. Background Information
A variety of passive dosing dispensers have been known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 650,161 to Williams et al and 1,175,032 to E. R. Williams disclose passive dispensers based upon the use of siphon mechanisms. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,546 to Dirksing discloses a passive dosing dispenser which includes a reservoir containing a cleaning solution. In operation of the Dirksing dispenser, while the water in the toilet tank is receding from about the dispenser, a predetermined dose-volume of toilet tank water is vacuum-transferred into a reservoir through an inlet conduit, and a substantially equal dose-volume of the product solution is dispensed through a discharge standpipe. However, in order to provide an air lock so as to isolate the product and product solution from toilet tank water, tortuous passageways are provided from inlet to outlet. As a consequence, the manufacture of such a dispenser becomes quite expensive.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to make a passive dispenser such that it will be small in size and thereby, much less expensive.
Another object is to fabricate a dispenser by injection molding which is inherently less expensive than thermoforming techniques.
Another object is to simplify the internal structure such that the dispenser is much less likely to clog.
A further object is to obtain extremely rapid release or discharge of the cleaning solution into the tank water. Hence, it becomes possible to discharge the cleaning solution further down into the tank because of the rapid discharge.